Lucy Kuptana halting ministerial duties to run for IRC chair

Nunakput MLA Lucy Kuptana will pause her duties as the NWT’s housing minister to seek the role of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair in January’s election.

Kuptana told colleagues in the legislature of her decision to run in an email earlier this week. Her move was first reported by NNSL.

The NWT legislature told Cabin Radio Kuptana had “advised the speaker that she wrote the premier asking for leave as a minister of the executive council until January 21, 2026.”

Premier RJ Simpson does not have authority under the NWT’s political system to remove Kuptana from cabinet, even temporarily. Instead, the legislature as a whole holds that power.

Instead, the NWT government said in a statement, the premier will take over as housing minister on an interim basis. Health minister Lesa Semmler takes Kuptana’s portfolio as minister responsible for the status of women.

“I respect her decision to pursue this opportunity. At the same time, it is important that the Government of the Northwest Territories carries out its work in a way that does not influence, and is not perceived to influence, external governance processes,” Simpson stated.

“In this situation, there is clear potential for a real or perceived conflict of interest between Minister Kuptana’s role as a member of executive council and her candidacy for this position.”

Simpson said he had asked her “to voluntarily refrain from participating in cabinet and cabinet committee meetings, from using ministerial resources, and from representing herself as a minister of the GNWT for the duration of her candidacy.”

Kuptana told Cabin Radio she cannot comment until the nomination period for candidates closes on Wednesday at 4pm.

The IRC’s current chair is Duane Ningaqsiq Smith. The next chair will be elected in Inuvik on January 20, 2026. A full list of candidates will not be available until after nominations close.

Only certain people – each of the 42 directors of the Inuvialuit community corporations – can vote for the next chair. They do so by secret ballot until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of votes cast, eliminating candidates as they go if necessary.

The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

A rare critic in cabinet

Kuptana is a first-term MLA having been elected to the legislature in late 2023. She represents the Beaufort Delta communities of Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour.

According to her legislative biography, she is originally from Aklavik and spent 22 years as the IRC’s director of operations, communications and culture before serving as Tuktoyaktuk’s senior administrator.

At least once since being appointed housing minister, Kuptana has used a legislature speech to criticize GNWT policy in other areas – a break with cabinet solidarity rarely seen in the territory.

In October, she told the legislature Tuktoyaktuk was being left to deal with the aftermath of a historic storm surge on its own, despite widespread damage to roads and homes.

“A small community with limited funding is told to take care of themselves and not look to the GNWT for funding assistance and use their own limited funds to clean up from a major storm event,” she said.

She is not the first NWT MLA in recent years to run for another office mid-term.

Another Nunakput MLA, Herb Nakimayak, did so in 2018, unsuccessfully running for president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s Canadian chapter.

In 2021, having missed out on becoming NWT premier, Monfwi MLA and former minister Jackson Lafferty resigned from the legislature to run for Tłı̨chǫ grand chief, an election he won.

In the past, the Legislative Assembly has said nothing in its rules prevents an MLA from holding another full-time position.

However, should Kuptana win January’s election, the practical consequences make a by-election for the Nunakput district likely. That outcome would also force a change in Simpson’s cabinet composition.

“Housing is one of the key priorities of our government and a core focus of our mandate. To ensure this work continues to move forward, I will assume responsibility for the housing portfolio on an interim basis, building on the progress already under way to deliver more homes for northerners,” Simpson stated on Tuesday.

“Our government remains focused on the work ahead. We will continue to move forward in a steady and meaningful way, and to deliver progress on the priorities that matter to people across the Northwest Territories.”